My Science School

That’s not far from the truth. But one thing is clear, it’s a tremendously educating and enjoyable experience. It will enrich your soul. Unlike many other exams, the preparation uplifts your soul. Yes, you do burn the midnight oil, but then the oil burns and gives you energy. This is a process which is tremendously educating. It uplifts your soul. I am talking the words I have lived myself. You will be a tremendously enriched person after two years of preparation of JEE. Passing and failing becomes a by-product.

Forget the passing and failing – if you are better off intellectually, the process would be worth it. You are preparing for IIT-JEE when you are 16-17. This s the time when one peaks in intellectual growth. At that point of time, the preparation inculcates in you the methodology of looking at things differently. That capability will remain with you throughout life.

I have come cross students who prepared for IIT intensely, could not get through, joined a regional college and still excelled in their professions. What are you going to lose? Some money, maybe. Some prime time, yes. But the intellectual gains are tremendous, which no process after 18 will help you gain.

 

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Yes, there is no need to prepare separately. In Mains, the problem would be based on one concept and not involve much mathematical work. In the JEE Advance exam, you will be presented with a combination of problems. But then the concepts would remain the same.

 

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They look for students who have not confined themselves to the regular information, but have gone deeper. It is not just about textbooks. You have to go through more books and absorb what all you would have read. Someone might clear the examinations by reading one book and someone else might go through 10 books and still come a cropper. How you handle the book is more important than how many books you would have handled.

 

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I am in the habit of telling my students that the only certain aspect of the examination is its uncertainty. The entire philosophy of the JEE paper is, let the student face a situation he has never been through before. They ask the kind of questions that’s not often asked, and they might increase the duration of the examination or reduce it. How effectively a student handles these aspects will determine the final outcome. This is one aspect you must bear in mind even as you decide to prepare for the exam. The right strategy would then be to gain a deep understanding of the subjects. The fundamentals should be clear. Try to convert the information into knowledge. In doing so you would have to go beyond working out the formulae and concepts an definitions and get to three level, such as:

1. What happens when a particular law is applied.


2. How to handle a situation where-in four laws are put together.


3. How to convert numerical or applied case into theory.

You would have to ask what you learnt while solving the problems. You will be amazed to find that there might be 10,000 problems, but all of them boil down to 10 or 11 key solutions. Make every problem an educational experience.

By strategy, if you mean joining a coaching institute, yes definitely, it helps to learn from a person  who has live with the subjects for 10 years. But just keep in mind that the questions themselves might not come in the examination.

 

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There are two parts to your question. Ideally, students should start preparing from class IX itself. Not that you should be thinking of IIT itself, but you should try to go deeper into whatever subject you are studying at that point of time. In class X one tends to think of scoring marks. But in class IX, that’s not the case. So you could devote time at that stage to gain a deeper understanding of the subjects. Some help from the teachers may be required, say in answering questions like ‘Why am I learning what I am learning’. Can I go beyond that? But if even if you hadn’t started the preparations in class IX, don’t think that your purpose is defeated. The moment you finish class X examinations get started with the preparations for JEE.

 

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I am studying in class XI. I have opted for non-medical science subjects with a certain objective. I want to be an astronaut or a space scientist and join NASA at any cost. But I don’t have adequate awareness about this field. Can I join IIT in aeronautical engineering, instead of BTech or MTech? I don’t even know which exam to take after class XII to achieve my aim. Should I appear for IIT or BTech? And, do I have to do PhD after IIT? Do I have to appear for any national or international exam for NASA? Which books should I study?

While NASA would be the dream destination of every student interested in space science and astronomy, a graduation in aeronautical engineering or any other related subject does not naturally mean that each and every student will get a place at NASA. It’s a long way to the portals of NASA.

As a science student, you can start your space odyssey by reading literature related to space – magazines, books and websites. Try to take part in every competition and event possibly related to space. Visit the planetarium in your city or nearest to your city. Make your interest in space evident to the authorities and ask them for a calendar of events, so that you get a chance to interact with an authority in this field who might be visiting that planetarium.

By making your interest obvious, your teachers will remember you when the right opportunity strikes. For example, in case of Kalpana Chawla’s alma mater in Karnal, bright students are asked to write an essay on a space-related topic and selections are made for a month-long visit to NASA on the basis of that essay.

In the case of Satvik Agarwal, he spotted an advertisement for the Mars mission in a newspaper, and followed it up on the website. So you see, you have to keep your eyes open and look out for information on all forums.

Why just NASA, at this stage you should be open to any learning programme that a planetarium, science society, university, European space research organisation or our own ISRO, might be inviting you to.

After graduation you could go for a post-graduate course to he US and get into the US mode. Join a university/institute of good standing and take up research work. That is one way of your name becoming familiar in NASA circles. Or else, do your post-graduation, and then, if possible, a PhD in India, and join an organisation of repute ( if possible, ISRO). NASA usually invites scientists on deputation or on full-time basis.

But you should have it clear in mind that being part of NASA does not necessarily mean being part of a space crew. Also keep in mind that being a space scientist does not necessarily mean that you will land in NASA. Other prestigious space organisations are also doing ambitious work. Would you say that ISRO, or the European Space Agency, that recently sent Beagle 2 to Mars, are not prestigious places to work?

You seem to be confused about BTech and IIT. The undergraduate programme in engineering offered by Indian Institute of Technology is called Bachelor of Technology (BTech). Aeronautical engineering is one of the courses offered at the BTech level. So, do not think that if you are doing BTech you cannot join an IIT or do aeronautical engineering. Also, BTech in aeronautical engineering can be done at other prestigious engineering colleges too. And no, there is nothing like an annual written exam for NASA, like IIT-JEE for IIT.

 

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I am student of standard IX. I want to join NASA and unveil all the secrets of the universe. What should I do from now on to get to selected to NASA. I also read Sky’s The Limit in which Saatvik Agarwal says that he participated in an essay competition through which he was selected for a NASA project. I want detailed information about the various types of competitions or tests conducted at the international level through which I could get such an opportunity.

While NASA would be the dream destination of every student interested in space science and astronomy, a graduation in aeronautical engineering or any other related subject does not naturally mean that each and every student will get a place at NASA. It’s a long way to the portals of NASA.

As a science student, you can start your space odyssey by reading literature related to space – magazines, books and websites. Try to take part in every competition and event possibly related to space. Visit the planetarium in your city or nearest to your city. Make your interest in space evident to the authorities and ask them for a calendar of events, so that you get a chance to interact with an authority in this field who might be visiting that planetarium.

By making your interest obvious, your teachers will remember you when the right opportunity strikes. For example, in case of Kalpana Chawla’s alma mater in Karnal, bright students are asked to write an essay on a space-related topic and selections are made for a month-long visit to NASA on the basis of that essay.

In the case of Satvik Agarwal, he spotted an advertisement for the Mars mission in a newspaper, and followed it up on the website. So you see, you have to keep your eyes open and look out for information on all forums.

Why just NASA, at this stage you should be open to any learning programme that a planetarium, science society, university, European space research organisation or our own ISRO, might be inviting you to.

After graduation you could go for a post-graduate course to the US and get into the US mode. Join a university/institute of good standing and take up research work. That is one way of your name becoming familiar in NASA circles. Or else, do your post-graduation, and then, if possible, a PhD in India, and join an organisation of repute ( if possible, ISRO). NASA usually invites scientists on deputation or on full-time basis.

But you should have it clear in mind that being part of NASA does not necessarily mean being part of a space crew. Also keep in mind that being a space scientist does not necessarily mean that you will land in NASA. Other prestigious space organisations are also doing ambitious work. Would you say that ISRO, or the European Space Agency, that recently sent Beagle 2  to Mars, are not prestigious places to work?

You seem to be confused about BTech and IIT. The undergraduate programme in engineering offered by Indian Institute of Technology is called Bachelor of Technology (BTech). Aeronautical engineering is one of the courses offered at the BTech level. So, do not think that if you are doing BTech you cannot join an IIT or do aeronautical engineering. Also, BTech in aeronautical engineering can be done at other prestigious engineering colleges too. And no, there is nothing like an annual written exam for NASA, like IIT-JEE for IIT.

 

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GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pant Nagar, is the first agricultural university of the country. This college offers a dynamic and innovative education programmes to meet the demand for scientific manpower, research and effective extension services in agriculture. Following are the departments:

• Agricultural communication.


• Agricultural economics.


• Agronomy.


• Agro-meteorology.


• Animal science.


• Entomology.


• Food science and technology.


• Genetics and plant breeding.


• Horticulture.


• Plant pathology.


• Soil science.


• Vegetable science.

As regards job options, after a degree from Pant Nagar University, the Central and state departments of agriculture employ specialists for developmental work with regard to crops, seeds, farm implements and extension work with farmers at the block development level. Recruitment to these posts is through the State Public Service Commission (at the State level), and the educational requirements are a degree in agriculture or allied fields.

After post-graduate, job openings exist in organisations such as the National Seeds Corporation, Food Corporation, the Warehousing Corporation, Fertiliser Corporation of India, etc. Corporations and boards such as the National Dairy Development Board also employ specialists.

With increasing commercialisation of agriculture, corporate houses also require post-graduates in agriculture and allied fields like rural management. These are essentially industries handling food processing and marketing of agricultural products, banks, insurance companies and companies handling storage, packaging and warehousing of agricultural products.

Nationalised banks and rural banks such as NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) also hire professionals from this field.

 

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Subject choice after X does not matter when it comes to taking up cricket commentary. What matters is your level of comfort with cricket as a subject. Do you, for example, remember who scored how many runs in the finals of the 1999 world cup? You should read books and magazines pertaining to cricket like a Bible. You should have the knack of interviewing cricketers, comparing their previous performances to the present one. And if you think that subject choice has anything to do with cricket commentary, did you know that commentator Harsha Bhogle did engineering at Osmania University and business management, Ahmedabad, and took up advertising as a career before taking the plunge into cricket.

 

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I am a student of class XII. I want to be a good English newsreader. For this purpose I want to know which exam do I have to pass. I have been reading English news on the stage everyday in school. I have also won a number of prizes for being the best newsreader. I hope that you will help me fulfil my ambition.

You have made the right beginning by reading English news on a regular basis in your school. But you don’t have to appear for any exam to be a reader. News channels have a diction test, wherein they test your fluency, speed, diction and presentability. So hone all these aspects.

Besides diction, speed and fluency, certain other skills also matter: how good are you at interviewing people (for as you would have seen on news channels, news readers are also supposed to interview guests in the studio during the news hour); how good is your knowledge of happenings around the world and whether you keep abreast of happenings; and also how well do you handle difficult situations, like having to report the meagre facts again and again for two hours before more footage arrives, say in the Akshardham attack last year, or Indian Airlines hijack episode in 1999.

 

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I am a B.Com final year student pursuing my degree from Maharshi Dayanand University, Ajmer. I am interested in getting an MBA degree after graduation. But I have a few questions. What exams do I need to take to join an MBA programme? What is the procedure regarding entrance forms, exams? Where do I get application forms from? Is coaching required? What are the affiliated colleges? Can I get direct admission to an affiliated college without taking an entrance exam, such as in Symbiosis Institute, Pune? Do graduation marks count in the admission process? Please clear my doubts.

Your questions has come at a very appropriate time. To begin with there will be just one admission test for management programmes from the forthcoming year. The exact nature of the test, the time-schedule and other modalities are being worked out. The new test could be an amalgam of CAT and other entrance tests that take into account your general awareness too. So, until the structure is decided you should be ready for any kind of questions that are asked in all the entrance exams. As regards direct admission to Symbiosis, well, even SCMHRD and SIBM have entrance exams before admission. To the best of our knowledge, no Indian B-school admits students without an entrance test. And as regards marks, you have to get the qualifying marks in college. Marks in college might be an issue when you are being interviewed but it is up to you to convince the interview panel as to why you did not get, say 60 per cent.

 

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I am a class XII student of a reputed public school of Delhi. I have opted for commerce without maths, with informative practices as an elective subject. I am interested in doing MBA. I have a few queries, like what type of course would suit me after class XII? Will I be able to get admission to a good college if I don’t have maths? Will I be able to do an honours course from DU? Please suggest the right course since I do not want to do a pass course. Also, I am not interested in doing B.Com Pass/B.Com Hons. Will English (Hons.) be good enough for graduation?

As it is, you have limited your options by not taking up maths. Then, you rule out B.Com (Hons.) and pass course. Admission to a good honours course is not a cakewalk and you should not eliminate any option. Non-maths students have one per cent deducted in the admission procedure. Yes, English is a good option if you are open to doing a liberal arts course. Also, it will not be a handicap in your preparation for MBA entrance exam. Even as a non-maths, liberal arts students, you can prepare for that exam as the level of difficulty to date has been of class IX-X syllabus.

 

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No, not any longer. There has been a change in the trend. Commerce student can take up anything now. In fact many of my students have gone for mass communication. Even in civil services, you will find good number of commerce students.

In fact, in lighter vein, when parents come to me for advice, as to what their children should study, I ask them in return, what they want their child to be: do they want him to be a film actor, or a politician, a journalist, a professor, a businessman or chairperson of a company. And I add, whatever career choice the child makes, he should equip himself to get admission to SRCC. Because I can name the best actors, best politicians, best police officers who have graduated from here. So name a field, and we have churned out the best in that field.

If the students are good, they can excel in any area. Now many doors are open, except that a commerce student cannot be a professor of physics or an engineer or a doctor. Barring that, you can be anything.

 

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I think it figures very prominently because it opens up many doors for those who want to make a good career. A lot of students give priority to commerce – this was not so earlier.

There are openings for commerce students in the traditional sense. They can go for CA, ICWA, for company secretaryship, or related areas in accounting and finance. If you want to do MBA, CA, CS or ICWA, you don’t necessarily have to be a B.Com. Even a BSc student can go for CA or MBA. The only difference is that commerce students or commerce pass-outs have an advantage over non-commerce students in case of courses like CA, CS or MBA, because some of the papers they have to study are taught at B.Com Hons level.

 

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My exams are three months away and I am already too bored of studies. I just don’t feel like picking up books now. At the rate I am going, I feel I will develop antipathy to anything that is related to academics.

Anything overdone brings this kind of reaction. Don’t study all the time take a break after two or three hours of continuous reading.

Go for a cup of tea or a glass of juice, an ice cream or whatever you like. Get back to your studies after a 20-30 minutes break, restart. You will feel good and not bored. After studying throughout the day go for jogging or brisk walk, talk to friends, joke around. Plan your studies systematically.

Clear your doubts the moment they arise and then proceed to the next, higher level. Do assignments and questions in an organised manner.

 

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